


My Place in the world

by hope170



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Foster Care AU, Warning: child abuse, but like, cursing, eventually adoption, way down the line
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2018-12-30 03:59:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12100242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hope170/pseuds/hope170
Summary: The year following his first year attending Camp Campbell, a lot of shit goes down, and Max isn't entirely sure how he feels about it. Whatever, he'll figure that out later.





	1. Home Life

_This fucking sucks._ The thought ran through the boy’s head like a broken record.

 

Max already knew this was going to happen. His parents had treated him like shit for years before now. As far as they knew, that’s all he was, an inconvenient little shit that only managed to get in their way and disappoint them. Though, he supposed it wasn’t always too bad as long as he stayed quiet and out of the way. After some point, they would always just sort of forget that he existed. When they forgot he was there, they couldn’t hurt him.

 

Ever since he had gotten back from camp, though, it seemed harder and harder for him to go under the radar. He couldn’t just sit in his room anymore without his parents finding some reason to call him out and punish him, to take their anger out on someone.

 

It had only been a week since he had come back and he was already so done with it all. Why couldn’t they just kill him already if they hated him so much? Why couldn’t they just throw him out on the streets to die? Maybe camp had weakened him. Three months of freedom and relative safety must have softened him to the physical and mental abuse. Oh God, it had to be pretty bad if he was starting to equate Camp Campbell with freedom.

 

Max groaned quietly, rolling in his bed. The alarm clock on the nightstand glared the time, 6:49, at him. His stomach growled angrily at him, but he ignored it. He would get something to fill his aching stomach when his parents had fallen asleep. He had almost managed to get some food last night, but then his father just had to walk in, cursing at him about stealing from them. He had ended up going to bed with an empty stomach and a large bruise forming on his side.

 

He glared at the clock, willing time to go faster. It felt like an eternity it finally did change, blinking 6:50 at his tired eyes. Max growled in frustration, hopping out of bed and pacing the small room, full of restless energy. He felt like he was going stir crazy, stuck in this stupid fucking room all the time. God, what he wouldn’t do to go on one of David’s ridiculous hikes, or even just a walk outside.

 

“Maxwell!”

 

He felt like he jumped ten feet, his whole body tensing with just that one word. He was suddenly very okay with staying in his small room.

 

“Get your ass down here, you piece of shit!”

 

He didn’t want to. Everything in him was demanding, screaming, pleading for him not to go down those stairs. But he knew it would end badly if he didn’t go. Well, at least worse than usual.

 

Reluctantly, he opened the door, having a clear view down the stairs and of the angry figure of his father waiting impatiently in the living room, he lowered his head, making sure not to make eye contact as he descended the stairs and stood before the older man. He could feel the dark brown eyes bore into the top of his head . He absently wondered what exactly he was being blamed for this time.

 

It was several seconds before the man spoke, voice measured but heated, barely holding back his anger.

 

“Who did you complain to?”

 

Max was confused at this, but refused to look up as he mumbled a response.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

He heard an angry sigh. He glanced towards it, seeing his mother standing in the kitchen door, looking upset. She was the one to speak next.

 

“We got a call just now. A man was asking about you.”

 

Max stiffened, head lowered again. That was impossible. He hadn’t given the home phone number to anyone, just his cell number to Nikki and Neil. Who would be bothered to call about him?

 

His father bent over, face inches away from the boy.

 

“Who. Did. You. Tell?”

 

Max didn’t answer. What could he say? His father did not take his silence well. He was on the ground in an instant, cradling his cheek, now busted open where his father’s ring had made contact, a throbbing pain spreading through his head.

 

“Don’t ignore me, you little brat!” his father roared, towering over the small boy. “Do you want to be taken away, forgotten in some orphanage or home? Do you want us to end up in jail? Would you rather be dying in the streets like the rat you are?”

 

Max curled in on himself, trying to shut out the yelling that made his head throb painfully. His father grabbed the back of his hoodie, yanking him to eye level . The boy whimpered, head spinning.

 

“Well?”

 

“...no…”

 

“What was that, boy?” his father snarled, shaking him violently.

 

“No, no! I didn’t tell anyone, I swear!” Max yelled, trying to pry the hand off. His father sneered at him, tossing the boy onto the ground. He groaned, unable to do much else.

 

“Ungrateful little shit. Don’t forget, you’re lucky to have us taking care of you, giving you a roof over your head and food in your stomach.”

 

Max whimpered in response, nodding. That seemed to satisfy the man and he turned to leave for the kitchen, his mother still watching passively. “Go to your room.”

 

Max slowly pulled himself off the ground, managing to climb the flight of stairs and get back into bed. He just needed to sleep this off. He would be fine. He curled under the blanket, bear tucked close to his chest. _That wasn’t so bad_ , he told himself. _You’ve survived worse. You’re fine._ He closed his eyes, refusing to cry over something as stupid as pain. For a short while, he managed to sleep.


	2. Rescued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of you guys seemed to like the first chapter. Thank you all for your comments and support!

Max woke to the sound of knocking on the front door and the clock glaring the time at him, 8:16. The room was shrouded in the dwindling light of dusk. He turned to face the wall, groaning at the pain. His cheek throbbed and his head felt like it was about to split in half. Slowly, he sat up, curiously peering out the window that sat above his bed. He got a good view of the front yard from their, able to see anyone who decided to pay the house a visit.

There were two cars pulled in front of the house, a small black Cadillac and a big red truck. There was a well dressed man at the door, rapping on it with his knuckles, fake smile plastered onto his face. After a while with no answer, the man glanced back at the red truck, shrugging. There must still be someone else in their, kept out of view by the glass and metal.

He heard the door open, the man turning back to talk to his mother, based on what he could hear of her voice. A few moments later she left, no doubt getting his father. She never did much of anything for herself. 

Max’s attention was brought back to the truck when he heard the door slam shut. A figure was now leaning against the side of the vehicle, scanning the house. This man was quite different from the other, hair messy, dressed in old, ragged jeans and a flannel shirt, sleeves rolled up his arm. The man’s eyes rested on the boy in the window, bright, obnoxious smile spreading on his face. A smile Max had once hated and was so achingly familiar. There was no mistaking that smile and his stupid ginger hair. It was David.

The other man had started talking with another gruff voice that he recognized as his father’s. He didn’t pay it much attention, to busy trying to get his sluggish mind wrapped around what was happening, why David was here, what they wanted.

His father and the man were clearly arguing now. Max wondered why. His father usually got along with anyone who wasn’t Max. His head was pounding painfully, so he decided to curl back up under his blanket. He wondered if maybe his head had been hit harder than he originally thought. It probably shouldn't hurt as much as it does. He should probably be more concerned, but he was too tired. He numbly listened to the arguing downstairs, Mr. HoneyNuts tucked safely to his chest. Maybe he should just go back to sleep. His parents should be in bed by the time he wakes up again, anyways. He’ll deal with everything then. He yawns, eyes drooping.

He woke up confused. He felt oddly safe, a hand rubbing his back and a warm voice calling his name. He tried to go back to sleep, struggling to snuggle deeper into the blanket, but just couldn’t manage it. Reluctantly, he pried his eyes open, squinting at the room. The light doesn’t seem to have changed in the slightest despite feeling like he had slept for at least an hour. He heard his name called again, so much concern, relief, and warmth in that voice. He turned to the voice, wincing in pain, eyes struggling to focus properly. 

“David?”

His smile was as bright and warm as always, only slightly tinged with concern. He nodded.

“Hey, Max.” he said, voice soft and quiet. “How are you doing, buddy?”

Max groaned, moving closer to David.

“... feel like shit. Head hurts …”

David nodded, still rubbing the boy’s back comfortingly. 

“Can you get up?”

Max sat up, head swimming, blanket hanging off his shoulders. David’s face dropped at the sight of the poor boy. His cheek was puffy and bruised, the skin busted, dried blood clinging to the injury. He looked so tired. He had only been here a week! David could feel his heart breaking, but refused to cry. Max didn’t need that right now, so he kept a smile on his face. The boy looked back up at him, clearly confused.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m getting you out of here.”

His eyes widened in surprise.

“...wha’?”

“I’m getting you out of this house, Max. I called social services to help me come get you.”

Fear came over Max. He couldn’t go into the system! He would just be forgotten in some other house till he was too old and ended up on the streets. Just like his father had always said.

“No, David. You can’t…”

He wanted to beg, to plead, to say something, but he just couldn’t think. God, his head hurt.

“Please…” he whimpered.

“It’ll be okay, Max.”

The voice was so warm and soothing, he didn’t even fight when he was pulled into a hug. David smelled like cut wood and campfire smoke, his shirt warm and soft.

“You’re going to be okay, Max.” the man reassured him. “You’re going to be okay.”

Max knew it was stupid, but he believed him.


	3. Short Hospital Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time, but the next one should be longer!

Max was left in the hospital for three days. He barely remembered what happened when he was brought into the hospital, just that he was in fact brought to the hospital. David came and went, spending a lot of time on his phone. Sometimes Max would catch what he was saying, but most of the time he was too far away.

 

A lot of others came and went as well; social workers, nurses, other government employees. It was actually pretty boring. He had his phone, sure, but it was a crappy one with barely enough energy for one game at a time, and it didn’t take much time before it died. He couldn’t play it while it was charging, so he would turn to the crappy hospital TV. Even that didn’t help much. Most of the channels were just news or soap operas or some similarly lame thing.

 

The worst points were when he was left alone, stuck in his hospital bed with only his thoughts to keep him occupied. Sure, David kept reassuring him that everything would be okay and everything would work out, but would it? Once he left the hospital, he would be placed in a foster home or orphanage or some other similar place for forgotten, unloved kids like him. He was going to be stuck alone, unable to see Nikki or Neil ever again. David would probably leave, too, after a while. He couldn’t stick around forever. He had his own life outside of camp and Max. And what would happen when he got too old? They would just throw him on the streets, forcing him to fend for himself. He didn’t want to think of the outcome of that. The thoughts wouldn’t stop running through his head. All he could do was try to sleep.

 

On the fourth morning, David woke him up, smiling. Max grumbled and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. David had gotten them breakfast, as he has been doing since Max was let into the hospital. It was nice of him, though Max would never admit it. The overly cheery man handed Max a cup of coffee which the boy was quick to accept, letting the warmth and smell wake him up.

 

Max had nearly finished his meal when David spoke.

 

“Their letting you out of the hospital today.”

 

“Great.” Max grunted, stabbing a sausage with his plastic fork.

 

David didn’t seem to hear the low note in his voice, continuing on.

 

“You’ll be taken to your foster home today, too! Isn’t that exciting?”

 

Max grunted again.

 

“I hope you like it their. I know the foster mom, and I think you two will get along really well!”

“What, did you, like, date her or something?” Max asked, rolling his eyes.

 

“Oh goodness, no! She’s actually my sister.”

 

Max almost spit his food out but managed to swallow it instead. 

 

“You have a family?” he nearly shouted. Somehow, he had never seen David as a family man. More like a lonely woodsman or something. He shouldn’t be surprised, but he couldn’t help it.

 

“Of course!” he beamed, clearly delighted by the change of subject. “I have an older brother, two older sisters, and my mom! I’m sure you’ll meet all of them at some point. You’ll be staying with Shay! She takes in foster kids all the time! Her last kids have just been adopted, so she’s open to taking you in! She lives in the county over, and though she’s technically not suppose to take kids from other counties, we managed to convince the higher ups to let it slide this time.”

 

“Oh, okay…” 

 

He listened as David continued to ramble on, caught up in his own thoughts.

 

God, now he was never gonna be rid of David! Two weeks ago that would have been a horrendous realization. Now, he couldn’t help but smile a little.


	4. Arrival

Max wasn’t paying much attention to the chatty social worker. At this point he was just repeating himself. It was a nice home, the foster mom is a nice lady, there’s a park nearby, it’s a nice neighborhood, etc., etc., so on and so on. He figured staring out the window would be more entertaining, watching the trees and powerlines whip by. He wanted to go in David’s truck, but apparently he wasn’t allowed. Whatever.

 

They stopped two hours later in front of a small house in a col-de-sac. It was pretty unimpressive overall, just a plain little brick house surrounded by other plain houses. The only thing worth note was the little tree towards the left of the front yard. The social worker seemed to be expecting a response from him, but he didn’t give it, just got out of the car, dragging his small suitcase with him, backpack hanging off his shoulders. David led the way to the door. 

 

The doorbell sounded far too cheery, mockingly so, making him scowl. There was a yell from inside that sounded vaguely like “One second!” It was, in fact, several seconds before the door opened, a short, chubby lady looking them all over. She had the same red hair and green eyes as David, who she was giving the eye.

 

She slapped his shoulder, making him yelp. 

 

“Next time you vanish to that camp for a summer, try visiting sooner.”

 

David smirked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

 

“Sorry, I’ve been distracted. I promise I’ll visit more often!”

 

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

 

“Oh please, Now that he’s here he’s never gonna leave.” She told Max, smirking.

 

The social worker coughed, trying to get her attention. 

 

“Yeah, I know, I know. Let’s talk inside.”

 

The inside was just as unimpressive as the outside. They entered through a kitchen that looked like every other kitchen, white tiled floors, white appliances, beige counters, and a table in the back next to the giant window. They sat at the small table, Max dropping his bags next to his chair with loud thumps.

 

“Would you guys like anything to drink?” Shay asked, opening the fridge. “There’s water, milk, apple juice, and soda. What’ll it be?”

 

“I’m fine.” David assured her.

 

“Water is fine, thank you.” Said the social worker.

 

Max rolled his eyes.

 

“I want Root Beer.”

 

The social worker looked taken aback and was probably going to tell him off for his bad manners. He seemed like that kind of person, but the lady spoke before him.

 

“Sure thing. It’s the last of it, too, so you better enjoy it.’

 

Everyone got their drinks and the grown-ups started talking. Nothing interesting, of course, just details and paperwork stuff. It really did go on for too long, in his opinion. At least Shay seemed equally bored. They didn’t stop till long after he had finished his Root Beer. Eventually, they did shut up and the social worker got ready to leave, shuffling his papers and pushing them back into his bag. 

 

“It was nice talking to you, Shay, David. I’ll be seeing you around, Max!”

 

He tried to ruffle the boy's hair, but he was quick to pull away, glaring at him. The man didn’t seem to notice or care. Shay closed the door behind him, giving a big sigh. She turned to look at Max, a smaller more genuine smile on her face. It took some of the tension from his shoulders.

 

“Now that he’s gone we can get you settled in, Max. Come on, I’ll show you your room. And don’t you screw up my kitchen”

 

David shrugged, taking out his phone.

 

She grabbed Max’s suitcase while he grabbed his backpack, leading him through an arched opening to the left of the table that lead to the living room, then down a small hall to the right with three doors. He was lead to the first one. The bedroom was small and kinda bare. There was a bed, nightstand, lamp, and dresser, but nothing else.

 

“Well, this is it. You’re free to do whatever you want with it, it’s your space. I just ask that you keep it somewhat clean. The bathroom is next door, and my room’s at the end of the hall if you ever need me at night.”

 

Max put his bag on the bed next to where Shay put his suitcase, scowling at the room. He unzipped the suitcase, taking his clothes out.

 

“Let me know if there's anything else you need, hairbrush, toothbrush, uh, any clothes you need, whatever. We’re going shopping later, and it would help if I knew what exactly I can get you.”

 

“I’m fine.” Max took the small pile of shirts and pants and stuffed them into the dresser.

 

“”You’re getting stuff regardless. I still need to buy you soap and toothpaste and what not. And as a rule of thumb, you need at least enough clothes to last a week without washing.”

 

Max’s scowl deepened. “You can’t buy my happiness or whatever. Just fuck off!”

 

Her face dropped into … something he couldn’t quite recognize and she nodded. 

 

“Fine, I’ll leave you alone for now.” She turned to leave. “I’ll call you when it’s time to go, okay? That or David will come in. One of us will get you.”

 

She closed the door as she left, giving Max some privacy. He put the rest of his clothes away, shoving the suitcase under the bed. He’ll take care of the rest later. He decided to spend the rest of his time sitting in the decently comfortable bed, music playing through the earbuds shoved in his ears, trying not to think too much. This probably wasn't going to be terrible.


	5. Shopping Trip

The sound of knocking could just barely be heard over the music blaring in Max’s ear. He pulled out an earbud, glaring at the door. Whoever was on the other end didn’t wait for a response, the door opening under Max’s glare. A glare that faded with the sight of David’s obnoxiously bright smile. God, he had almost thought that was a dream.

“Hey Max!” David beamed, sitting on his bed. Max didn’t respond.

“Well, how are you feeling? You know, about all this. I know it’s a big change.”

Max shrugged.

“It can’t be worse than home. And Shay seems pretty cool I guess.”

That clearly made David happy, his smile wider than ever.

“I’m glad to hear it Max!” He forced a hug on the boy, who tried not to struggle against it too much. “I just want you to be safe.” He barely caught the whisper.

“Now then!” David beamed, finally letting Max go. “Let’s go shopping!”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The store was chilly, making Max glad he always wore his warm hoodie. 

They were buying food first, Shay had informed them, then they would get some things for Max. And so they did, David giving suggestions the whole time and being shot down every time. Shay always had a reason why David was wrong and every time David would frown before brightening up again. Max had to respect her patience on the matter. Occasionally, she would ask him about his food preferences, making sure to get stuff that he liked.

When they finished with the groceries, Shay tallied the prices of everything, mumbling to herself as she did the math.

“Okay, that gives us … hmm, that should be plenty” She put the pad back into the cart. “Alrighty, Max, time to get your stuff.” She turned on David, pointing a finger in his surprised face. “And YOU are going to leave him be! He makes his own choices.”

He gulped. “Yes ma’am.”

Shay nodded in satisfaction, leading them on.

“First thing first, you need soap and toothpaste. Do you have a toothbrush?”

Max nodded.

“Good.” she said as they entered the proper aisle. Max wasn’t really picky, whatever looked good enough. Shay had to remind him to get shampoo and conditioner and David looked like he wanted to say something but managed to stay quiet. They went on to get them more socks and underwear, David going on about how it important it was and whatever. Shay just rolled her eyes. Next, Shay let Max loose in the clothes section to pick whatever he wanted. His eyes lit up when she told him, turning into giant teal saucers. He had never picked out his own clothes before! It was a freedom he never knew he wanted.

He went to the shirts first, grabbing a few plain t-shirts of various colors and a few ridiculous printed tees. One had a picture of a cat shooting lasers out of its eyes while riding on the back of a dolphin through space. It made Shay laugh. He moved on to pants, picking out some average jeans. He wasn’t quite ready to explore with anything different than that. The last piece of clothing he picked was a new hoodie, a dark blue one this time. All in all, he was pretty happy with his haul.

“What else is there?” David asked as Max dropped his stuff into the cart. He tried peer over her shoulder and get a glance at her pad, but she swatted at him, driving him away. She continued her scribbling and mumbling for a minute longer and smiled.

“Okay! We still have thirty dollars. Max, what else do you want?”

He blinked. “What?”

“What else do you want? You have thirty dollars and the entire store!”

His eyes lit up even brighter this time, scanning his surroundings. The entire store. Anything he wanted? His first thought was of the toy aisle, taking his time to look over all of the options. He hummed thoughtfully, being drawn to the nerf guns. There had been a group of kids in his old neighborhood that had played war games with them often. He would watch them from his bedroom window. He had always wanted to join them. He ended up grabbing one of the big rifles and a small pistol as a backup. He also grabbed some extra bullets, dumping it into the cart. 

“Are you sure he should have that?” David worried, eyeing the toy guns. Shay shrugged, smirking.

“Anything else, Max?”

He shrugged. “Not that I can think of.”

So they headed to the register, Max still eyeing the shelves. Just in case. He did end up spotting something, veering from the group slightly to pick it up. It was a dark green blanket that looked pretty damn soft. It couldn’t hurt to get.

It took some time to ring everything up, even with David helping to pile all the bags into the cart. It was easier to get it all in the car with Shay helping load. The drive back was pretty quiet, the radio the only sound, but it was a content silence. By the time they got back to the house, Max had nearly fallen asleep.

Max sat at the kitchen table, watching the two adults put away the groceries. David took things out of the bags and placed them on the counter within Shay’s reach, the bags ending up in a pile on the table. Shay grabbed whatever she could, finding a place for them in the fridge or pantry. All bags that had Max’s new things were piled next to his chair. It took a surprisingly short amount of time to put everything away.

“David, can you take care of the bags while I help Max with his things?”

David hummed in agreement. Shay grabbed most of the bags and lead the way to his room, the boy following behind with the last few bags.

They went through the clothes first, Shay removing any tags and max tucking them away in the dresser. The blanket was next, finding it’s way on Max’s shoulders before too long. Shit, it WAS really damn soft! And Warm too! Shay then shooed him away to put his soaps and toothpaste away while she  attempted to open the nerf gun boxes. He helped when he got back and, when the guns were finally free and loaded, did a few practice shots at the bed.

Max nudged her side with the rifle.

“So, David’s by himself right now.” He remarked, mischief in his smile.

Shay smirked back.

“And unarmed.”


	6. Ambush and Dinner

The walls in the house were paper thin. Almost everything could be heard if someone listened. To bad David wasn’t listening. He was humming an aimless tune at the kitchen table, occupied with some app on his phone. A pair of teal eyes watched him, safely hidden from his view. This was the boy's chance.

The gun wasn’t very heavy, not for him. He aimed it with ease, lining it up with the targets head. He would have only one chance before he was spotted. He glanced over at his backup who nodded, pistol at the ready. He nodded back, taking his shot.  
David felt something hit his shoulder. It was light and barely noticeable. He looked up, noticing nothing other than the opening to the living room. He wondered if maybe he had imagined it and shook his head, returning to his phone. Almost instantly, he felt it again, this time on the side of his head. Again, he looked up and saw nothing but did hear … giggling?

He noticed the nerf bullets on the floor. Max. 

Another bullet hit him while he was looking down, then again when he glanced back up. The giggling turned to cackling and he smiled despite himself. Shay and Max were behind the couch, laughing their butts off nerf guns on hand. 

“Eat shit, David!” Max yelled, shooting at him again. He managed to dodge that one, simply stepping to the side.

“Language!’

“Not in my house!” Shay managed to shoot him. He sighed.

The pair ducked behind the couch again, clearly preparing for another attack.

Okay then. He could play this game.

He moved quickly, getting closer to the wall. They couldn’t get to him as easily there, but he couldn’t stay there. He knew the other two could either just walk through or sneak around to the door at the other end of the kitchen. It would be far too easy for them to gun him down, whatever they chose. He was unarmed and with no form of defense. That would have to be his first priority.

He could hear them whispering now, scheming, but he couldn’t quite tell what they were saying. They started moving to the other side of the room. He peered around the corner, spotting them at the other end of the living room, clearly planning to go around and catch him be surprise. He moved to the end of the couch while they were distracted, safely out of their view again. He snached a large pillow from the couch, now ready when they attacked again. His main plan, however, was to stay out of sight for as long as possible.

He could hear their footsteps on the kitchen tile.

“Wha’ ... ? Where the hell did he go?” 

He almost laughed at max’s surprise, but managed to keep quiet They went on like that for a while longer, mostly just going in circles, Shay and Max getting steadily more annoyed.  
“He always was really good at hiding, that annoying prick.” 

They finally did find him in the kitchen when he couldn’t get to the living room fast enough.

“There you are!” Max called, making him jump. He was just able to get that pillow up in time to block the bombardment of bullets, laughing along with his attackers.

They eventually ran out of bullets, however, and they had to stop, Max gleefully declaring his victory.

“I totally got you!”

David laughed, helping him pick up the various nerf bullets. 

“Yeah, I have to admit, you did catch me off guard, but I did hide for a while.”

Max rolled his eyes.

“Sure, whatever you say, loser.”

Once the nerf bullets had been picked up and the guns put away, Shay started on dinner, leaving Max and David to watch the TV. They ended up settling on Cartoon Network and the Amazing World of Gumball. 

Dinner was pretty nice, all in all. Max didn’t talk much, leaving Shay and David to catch up. It was fascinating, how those two interacted. Max couldn’t help but pay close attention to David’s ramblings and Shay’s comments, shoveling mac and cheese into his mouth. God, it was good. He missed mac and cheese.

Somehow they got into debating whether or not David should stay the night.

“I could sleep on the couch!” he eagerly suggested to the skeptical Shay.

“Oh, so you DID bring your pills?” She asked sarcastically. 

His smile dropped slightly.

“Mmmm, they're still at my place … Eh, what’s one night?”

“David.” 

“It’s not that big a deal! I do it all the time!”

“David!”

“It’s fine, really!” David was quick to assure her. “It’s not like I’m doing anything tomorrow, anyways. Work’ doesn’t start for around another week!”

“Shoot, you’re right! School’s coming up.”

Max groaned, dropping his head to the table. School. Shit. Shay rubbed his back comfortingly. 

“Yeah. I know buddy. The dreaded S word.”

“Can’t I just be homeschooled?” Max asked, words muffled by the table.

“‘Fraid not, kiddo. I’m legally required to enroll you.”

“School isn’t that bad!” David chimed, words met with Max’s scathing glare. 

“You know what the worst part is?” Shay asked, smirking. “David’s your gym teacher.”  
Max’s groan was almost deafening


	7. Morning After

Max woke up to the smell of coffee, wrapped up in his green blanket, warm and groggy. He could hear hushed voices talking somewhere else in the house. For a moment, he had no idea where he was, just that he wasn’t home. Oddly enough, that didn’t freak him out as much as it probably should. That being said, he still felt better when he remembered everything.

 

He rolled over, grabbing his phone off the nightstand to check the time. 9:16. That wasn’t too early, he guessed. He didn’t bother changing before heading to the kitchen. He could do that after he got some coffee and food into his system.

 

David was at the table, talking with Shay who looked to be cooking something at the stove. DAvid noticed him first, smiling his signature smile.

 

“Good morning, Max!”

 

He glared at him.

 

“Don’t talk to me.”

 

David just chuckled as Max settled in his own seat, a mug of coffee placed in front of him. He eagerly accepted it.

 

“Don’t get too use to that, kid. I’m gonna start cutting you off once school starts.”

 

“What!!” Max yelled, now fully awake. “Just kill me now. I need caffeine to get through the hell hole called school!”

 

“Chill with the dramatics. You’ll still get your caffeine, just not from coffee. It’ll stunt your growth and ruin your teeth. You’ll thank me later.”

 

“Like fuck I will.” Max grumbled, returning to his coffee. Shay chuckled and started peeling some eggs.

 

“By the way, while you were gone Caleb got a new girlfriend.”

 

“Again? What happened to Crystal?”

 

And so their conversation went on till breakfast was ready; easy boiled eggs on toast. Max practically inhaled his food, listening to the adults as they talked. The food was gone sooner than he would have liked, but he didn’t mind too much.

 

He put the dishes in the sink, per Shay’s request, and went to get changed. He decided to wear his new hoodie, and old red t-shirt, and old jeans. By the time he got back to the kitchen David had started cleaning the dishes and Shay was on a laptop.

 

“Did you brush your teeth?”

 

“You’re not actually going to force me to do that shit, are you?”

 

Shay just gave him a look and, with a louder than necessary groan, went back to the bathroom. Honestly, he didn’t have an issue with brushing his teeth, he had just forgotten. When he had finished he stomped back into the kitchen.

 

“Happy now?”

 

“Oh, never.” Shay joked, looking him over. “That being said -”

 

“Fuck! Come on! Why are you so obsessed with how I look!”

 

David whispered “Language.” making Shay get up to smack his shoulder.

 

“It’s less about looks and more about health. In this case, looking good just helps show that you’re healthy.”

 

“Why do you care if I’m healthy?”

 

Shay shrugged. “I don’t know, kid. Why does anyone care about anything. These are just some of the things that need done in the morning. You eat breakfast, get dressed, brush your teeth, and brush your hair.”

 

His hands went to his hair defensively. 

 

“What’s wrong with my hair?” he asked, glaring at her.

 

“When was the last time you brushed it?”

 

… Shit. He couldn’t remember. Like hell he was going to admit that though.

 

“It … doesn’t need brushing!”

 

Yeah, right, like that sounded believable. Shay abruptly left, leaving Max confused.

 

“I didn’t break her that easily, did I?”

 

David chuckled, putting the last dish on the rack to dry.

 

“She’s probably just going to get a hairbrush.” He turned to the boy, drying his hands. “Have you really not been brushing?”

 

“Suck a dick, David!”

 

Max retreated to the living room, sitting on the couch, basically pouting until Shay came back, carrying a hairbrush like David said. He eyed the item cautiously as she set it on the coffee table and, strangely enough, went to the TV stand. 

 

“Come here.”

 

He was too curious to argue. Shay opened the cabinet, revealing an array of video games for a variety of consoles. Max’s eyes grew wide.

 

“Holy shit … “

 

Shay nodded.

 

“Pick a game to play while I brush your hair.”

 

He didn’t even care about his stupid hair anymore. After some contemplation, he chose Wind Waker, handing the game to Shay to put on for him. She had to plug in the Wii, but it didn’t take too terribly long before she was handing the remote to him. He settled onto the couch, fitting between Shay and David. Max started the game and Shay started on his hair.

 

By the time she was done, it was fluffier than ever!


	8. First Day of School

Monday morning, Max woke up with a start, the alarm Shay had gotten him blaring in his ears. He frantically attempted to hit the right button, sighing when it was finally silent. He collapsed back into bed, groaning into his pillow. God, he was tired. Today was going to suck, especially without his coffee.

 

He peeled himself off his bed, shuffling into the kitchen. Shay was, for some reason, already up, leaning against the counter and sipping from her mug. The kitchen actually smelled pretty nice, helping him wake up slightly.

 

“Mmm, what are you making?” Max asked, settling into his usual chair at the table.

 

“Blueberry muffins. I was craving them. Want one?”

 

Max mumbled a reply. Shay just took it as a yes, cutting it in half and putting on some butter. She also made him a cup of tea like the one she had been drinking and gave them to him. He eyed the mug cautiously a while before taking a sip. He pondered the taste for a bit before humming his approval. It still wasn’t as good as coffee, but it wasn’t bad.

 

It didn’t take him long to get ready. It never really did, so he sat in the living room watching cartoons while Shay brushed out his hair. He had started doing it himself, but he still found it difficult to work out some of the worse knots and Shay wanted him to look nice for his first day of school.

 

They left at eight, thirty minutes before school started. By the time time they pulled up in front of the school, he still had another fifteen minutes. Even then, it was already crowded, the younger kids being led to their classes while the older ones shoved their parents away to find their classrooms themselves.

 

“Okay, Max. You know where your classroom is?”

 

Max nodded, unbuckling and grabbing his back off the floor.

 

“At least try to enjoy your classes, okay? And don’t give your teachers too much trouble. Except for David. Give DAvid hell!”

 

“Yes ma’am!” Max smirked, mock saluting. 

 

“Okay then! Pick you up at three!”

 

Max nodded again, getting out of the car.

“See ya!” Shay called before he slammed the door. He waved goodbye, making his way to the doors. Shay made sure he actually got into the building before driving away.

 

The school wasn’t too big and was easy enough to navigate. The cafeteria and gym were to the left and the classroom halls were to the right. There were four halls arranged in a sort of square, each hall holding the classrooms for two grades. The front hall had all the various classrooms for stuff like art and music and the kindergartners. The left hall was for the first and second graders, the right for the third and fourth graders, and the back hall was for the fifth and sixth graders. That’s where Max headed.

 

He was one of the first kids in the classroom, along with a few others and the teacher. She was an old lady with short, curly white hair, thick glasses, and a denim dress of sorts. He groaned inwardly. God, he could already tell this was gonna blow. Luckily, she was distracted by one of the other kids, making it easy for him to sneak past and claim one of the tables in the back. The other kids, filtered in, most talking adamantly with each other and scrambling to get tables with their friends. He had hoped he would get his table to himself, but then some kid had to claim the other chair. Great.

 

The bell rang and class started with roll call. The kid next to him was John apparently. How boring was that. He managed to pay enough attention for some time before old habits started kicking in and he started daydreaming, staring into nothing. They did a bit of math, science, and english before lunch, the time inching past.

 

The school food was shitty, but not as shitty as camp. He managed. He watched the other kids talking and eating, thinking.

 

“Hey.”

 

He eyed the boy who has interrupted his thought. It was John, holding his tray of shitty food and smiling at him.

 

“It’s Maxwell, right?”

 

“Just Max.”

 

“Can I sit here?”

 

He didn’t really wait for a response, claiming the seat across from him. They sat in silence for a while, just eating.

 

“Did you just move here? I haven’t seen you before.”

Max shrugged. “Kinda.”

 

“Cool.”

 

Silence.

 

“This place is boring.” Max stated, stabbing at his food. “You guys don’t do anything!”

 

“The afternoons are more fun.” John insisted. “They get all the boring junk done in the morning and do all the fun stuff in the afternoon. I think we have art and music today.”

 

“That should be more entertaining than math, at least.”

 

It was wildly more entertaining than math. Everyone was given a personal sketch book and spent the class just drawing whatever while the teacher talked about what they were learning that year. Clearly he thought no one was listening, which, of course was true, because he ended up handing out a summary at the end of class with a list of projects they would work on.

 

Music was even more entertaining. Each kid was allowed to try to play all sorts of instruments, creating as much noise as twelve sixth graders with loud instruments could. Max and John tried to see who could get their violins to stop screeching first, laughing at the noises each other made. Max managed the first non-screeching note first, immediately shoving it in John’s laughing face. John managed it a few tries later and they spent the rest of class time screwing around with different notes, creating stupid little tunes. At the end of class they instruments were neatly put away and they were led back to their classroom. 

 

The last twenty minutes of the day were free time. They just had to sit and not get too loud, otherwise they could do whatever they liked. Max spent the time doodling and talking with John. Finally, that final bell rang and they were free. Max and john rushed out with the others, not even bothering to say bye. By the time Max had managed to get out front he couldn’t spot the other boy anywhere.

 

Shay’s mini-van was already out front waiting for him, so he climbed in. She smiled brightly at him as he buckled up. 

 

“Hey, buddy! How was school?” She asked, pulling away from the curb. Max shrugged.

 

“It wasn’t terrible, I guess. Still boring as fuck.”

 

Shay seemed happy enough with his response, letting them lapse into silence for the rest of the drive home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the last all the chapters I've written so far. Updates are going to be a lot slower now, so pleas be patient with me!
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and support!


	9. A Bad Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max deals with a bad dream.

Chapter 9 - A Bad Dream

 

Max didn’t scream when he woke up. He learned a long time ago not to. He did wake up gasping and frantic, heart pounding in his chest. Fragments of the nightmare still clung to his mind, the feelings of loneliness and helplessness still weighing on his mind. Nobody was there, in his dream. He was drowning and nobody was there to pull him back up. They all looked away; his parents, his friends, even David and Shay. It was just him and the dark water. He tried to calm himself down, tried to even out his breathing, but everything still felt wrong. The room was just as dark as the waters, just as empty. 

 

The only sign that he wasn’t alone was the warm light streaming in through the cracks around the door. Shay must still be up. He debated whether or not he should talk to her, to seek her comfort, for a only a moment before he threw his blanket off him and was at the door, opening it slightly and peering out to the living room. Shay was on the couch doing her cross-stitch, the TV softly babbling in the background. It was one of the few David-like things she did. He found that interesting.

 

Shay noticed him at the door, just watching her. She smiled softly at him, motioning for him to come over. He hesitated for only a moment before moving, carrying Mr. Honeynuts close to his chest. He crawled onto the couch, getting comfortable by her side, even leaning against her, but refusing to look her in the eye. He just needed to know that she was still there, that he wasn’t alone. She didn’t seem to mind, stopping her cross-stitch to wrap her arm around him.

 

They sat in comfortable silence to the show they were watching ended, Netflix prompting them to watch the next episode. Only then did Shay turn it off, moving her arm off the boy at her side to put her things away. He missed it.

 

“Do you want a glass of water?” she asked, voice quiet. He nodded, following her into the kitchen and waiting at the table. It took only a moment for Shay to fill a cup, giving it to him and sitting down. He took a sip.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

 

He shook his head, taking another sip. She didn’t push and he was grateful for that. Once he was done the cup was put in the sink and he was lead back to his room, Shay helping him untangle his blankets and tucking him in properly. She brushed some stray curls out of his face. It felt nice. 

 

“If you have another nightmare, you’re more than welcome to come get me. I won’t be mad.”

 

“Even if you’re sleeping?” he whispered back. Shay smiled.

 

“Even if I’m sleeping.”

He made a noise of acknowledgment, snuggling deeper into the warmth of his bed, eyes already starting to droop . She hummed back, kissing his forehead. Huh. That felt nice, too.

 

“Goodnight, Max.”

 

He mumbled something that resembled words, already drifting off. Shay waited till he was completely asleep before leaving, closing the door gently so as to not wake him up, and left to get ready for bed herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> I may or may not be posting again soon. I have some ideas of where I want it to go, but the trick is getting it there.


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